Solid Foods. Offer a soft diet. Good ones are mac and cheese, mashed potatoes, cereals with milk and ice cream. Also, avoid foods that need much chewing. Do not give citrus, salty, or spicy foods. Note: Fluid intake is more important than eating any solids.

For babies, you may need to stop the bottle. Give fluids by cup, spoon or syringe instead. Reason: The nipple can increase the pain.

Pain Medicine:

Mouth ulcers are painful.

Blisters also may be painful, especially on the feet.

To help with the pain, give an acetaminophen product (such as Tylenol).

Note: Fevers less than 102° F (39° C) are important for fighting infections.

For all fevers: Keep your child well hydrated. Give lots of cold fluids.

Blisters on the Skin

Blisters don't need any special treatment. You can wash them like normal skin.

Blisters on the palms and soles do not open.

Those on arms and elsewhere sometimes open. The fluid is contagious to other people. Open blisters do not need to be covered. They quickly dry over.

Return to School:

HFMD is easily spread to others.

However, most often, it's a mild and harmless illness.

After contact with HFMD, children come down with symptoms in 3-6 days.

Can return to child care or school after the fever is gone. Most often, this takes 2 to 3 days.

Children with widespread blisters may need to stay home until the blisters dry up. That takes about 7 days.

What to Expect:

Fever lasts 2 or 3 days.

Mouth ulcers should go away by 7 days.

Rash on the hands and feet lasts 10 days. The rash on the hands and feet may then peel.

Call Your Doctor If:

Signs of dehydration occur

Fever lasts more than 3 days

You think your child needs to be seen

Your child becomes worse

And remember, contact your doctor if your child develops any of the 'Call Your Doctor' symptoms.

Disclaimer: This information is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice. It is provided for educational purposes only. You assume full responsibility for how you choose to use this information.